Reliant Calif. Ormond 1 natgas unit back

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - Reliant Energy Inc's (RRI.N) 741-megawatt Unit 1 at the Ormond Beach natural gas-fired power station in California returned to service by Wednesday afternoon, the California Independent System Operator said in a report.

The unit shut by April 20 for unplanned reasons.

The 1,516 MW Ormond Beach station is located in Oxnard in Ventura County about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. There are two units at the station: the 741 MW Unit 1 and Unit 2, which entered service in 1971 and 1973.

Unit 2 remained available for service.

One MW powers about 700 homes in California.

Reliant, of Houston, owns and operates more than 14,000 MW of generating capacity in the United States, markets energy commodities, and sells electricity to more than 1.8 million residential and business customers, primarily in Texas. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; editing by Jim Marshall)